Computer will not boot from CD or any other hard drive

So I have this laptop I've been asked to reformat and install snow leopard. However, I cannot seem to get it to boot from the CD or any hard drive except the original hard drive. It still has OSX snow leopard 10.6 and it boots fine but the user just wants it wiped. I've removed the efi password (there was none) but I blanked it using the snow leopard disc through safe mode. If attempt to boot from any other device other than the original hard drive, I just get the gray apple logo screen and it will hang in there forever. Anyone got any ideas?


I reset the pram, disabled any security, etc I'm out of ideas now. thanks

Ok, so you haven't told us which mac, and you a senior member, shame on you! Is it a mac mini by chance? I think it's one of the only macs I've come across that has some boot issues. I have new one and hate it.

opps, just re-read post and see you refer to a laptop. So is it an older intel powerbook, or a newer one? Part of the problem with a snow install is that it wants to try and do most of your thinking for you, rather than give you options, ie: archive and install etc. You don't talk about a windows boot drive, so I'll assume there isn't one. As to not installing from a CD or DVD that can be common as the disc drive might be at fault.

The drives that's there at the moment is just a straight Mac OS Extended Journaled drive and can boot normally?

When you say get it to boot from another hard drive, I presume you're trying with a FW or USB drive that has had a system built on it, Correct? I Would try this. If not any mac that can run SL can can take a remote install from another mac, did you try that?

I don't get it that users still complain about boot failures but don't boot their machine with apple+v (verbose mode) to first try taking a look at what goes wrong at the boot screen. However, if you swaped your original CD/DVD drive with a new and not original apple one e.g. pioneer, you must set it to master, because on powerbooks and older intel books it needs to be set to master, otherwise it won't let you boot from CD/DVD. Atleast it's that kind of issue on powerbooks. To set it to master, you must either set a jumper, or (if it has no jumper) you need to bridge pin 47 and 49 per soldering. If you got an external optical usb drive try pressing ALT(option) after turning it on and see if it detects the bootable DVD in the usb drive. Btw, do not only try resetting the pram but also the nvram. On unibodys you must press the power button for 10 seconds (till it beeps like crazy?) instead 5 seconds like on older intel books. Just an reply for other users who might have the same issue...

cheers